Consumers may not necessarily know that moving teeth is a complex biological process, but rather think it’s only cosmetic. A new video campaign from the AAO Consumer Awareness Program (CAP) aims to provide an insightful and clinical, lay-friendly exploration into the science behind orthodontic transformations.
The “Science of Smiles” campaign also addresses other common questions, based on keyword searches on the AAO consumer website, Google and Bing. Each video includes features an AAO orthodontist and positions orthodontists as the ultimate authority, highlighting their education and training and positioning them as the go-to experts at producing beautiful, healthy smiles and correctly aligned bites.
The rollout of the nine Science of Smiles videos will occur over the next several weeks, starting with the availability of the following videos and subsequent releases scheduled every eight weeks:
● “Why Do In-Person Consultations and X-Rays Matter?” The video features Dr. Greg Jorgensen, who addresses critical aspects of in-person consultation, including imaging, in orthodontic treatment. Dr. Jorgensen explains how the process produces accurate diagnoses, effective treatment plans, and successful outcomes.
● “How Much Do Braces Cost?” In this video, Dr. Alyssa Emory-Carter addresses different treatment options and factors that influence their cost as they relate to a patient’s individual needs and the type, complexity and duration of orthodontic treatment. Dr. Emory-Carter urges discussion of options and costs with an AAO orthodontist to enable a well-informed decision about treatment.
Science of Smiles Content Available for Members to Share
Watch the eBulletin and AAO social media pages for the debut of each video in the Science of Smiles campaign (see below). AAO members are encouraged to share content from the series:
● Digital tools for each video, including social media posts, web banners and shareable links to the videos, will be available on the member Practice Marketing Toolkit page;
Additional videos in the Science of Smiles campaign will include:
● How Do Aligners Straighten My Teeth?
● What is an Orthodontist?
● When Do I Take My Child to The Orthodontist?
● How Do Braces Work?
● How Old is Too Old for Orthodontic Treatment?
● What Happens at Your First Orthodontic Appointment?
● How Long Do Braces Take?
CAP 2023-24 Metrics: Web Visits Already Ahead of Last Year’s Total
From June 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024, the Consumer Awareness Program brought more than 8.5 million visitors to the AAO consumer website to learn more about orthodontics. With two months remaining in Fiscal Year 2023-24, consumer website visits were ahead of the total for all of FY23: 6.1 million.
Additional metrics for the first ten months of 2023-24 include:
- Over 1 billion digital ad impressions (+122% over the last fiscal year)
- 12.6 million pageviews (+28% over last year)
- 11.9 million ad clicks (+96% over last year)
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Love the Science of Smiles concept. Orthodontics is healthcare, and we should be standing proud in that arena. Thank you for highlighting that for our specialty.
I’d like to see the CAP Committee consider a national TV ad campaign similar to what the Certified Financial Planners (CFP) are doing. They have been running ads on national broadcasts whose audience is adults age 35-65- in their prime saving years. They are using sporting events and other widely viewed content as their medium. While more costly, I feel that this concept will better send our message and get people talking about the benefits of using a specialist for any type of orthodontic treatment. Check it out at LetsMakeAPlan.org “Its Gotta Be a CFP” is their tagline.
Orthodontists already have an incredible brand, and like many other well branded businesses who rely heavily on TV advertising to keep that brand alive, we should too. Slowly, and over many years, our brand has been diminished as technology companies tell our customers that any dentist can straighten their teeth using their branded product. Its working for them, and it will take a significant investment over many years to get our brand back where it should be.
How about this for our tagline: “Your Smile is Important, Choose a Specialist. Choose an Orthodontist.”
Thanks again for all you are doing to help our specialty. John Wise